WILDCATS

Towles' job on the line after Georgia loss

Jon Hale
Louisville Courier Journal

ATHENS, Ga. -- After Kentucky totaled a season-low 180 yards of offense in a 27-3 loss at Georgia, the most drastic change yet may be looming for the Wildcats.

Junior quarterback Patrick Towles’ job is no longer safe.

“In fairness to the team, I think you have to look at everybody,” UK head coach Mark Stoops said. “You know I always say that about all positions. You’ve seen us change the depth chart at a lot of positions all the way through the season on who is playing well, and I think it’s fair to say that we have to look at the quarterback position.”

Towles completed just 8 of 21 passes for 96 yards in Saturday's loss and threw two interceptions with no touchdowns. The 96 yards were the fewest in any of Towles’ 21 career starts. He now has thrown 12 interceptions and nine touchdowns on the season.

Post-game analysis | Cats blown out in Georgia

“I honestly think you evaluate everything,” UK offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “We're gonna watch it close, and then we'll meet, and we'll make decisions. But I mean, he's not the only one out there. I will say that. Typically, it's one guy here, one guy there.

“But that guy does make it work. Everybody does understand that.”

Kentucky was held to fewer than 200 total yards for just the third time in the Stoops era and the first time since Oct. 12, 2013 against Alabama. The team’s 101 passing yards were the second smallest total of the Stoops era.

While Georgia eventually found plenty of success in the run game against Kentucky’s defense, in the first half with the outcome still in doubt Towles and the offense were unable to capitalize on any defensive success.

Kentucky’s first snap on the Georgia side of the field did not come until midway into the second quarter, and a 15-yard facemask penalty against senior left tackle Jordan Swindle immediately returned the Wildcats to their own territory. Three plays later Kentucky punted from its own 44-yard line.

Game Rewind | Georgia 27, Kentucky 3

Despite the early offensive struggles, Kentucky was handed the ball at the Georgia 20-yard line on a fumble recovery with a chance to pull within three points at the 2:49 mark in the second quarter. A dropped pass, a run for a loss of two yards and a completion that ended five yards short of a first down forced the Wildcats to settle for a 32-yard field goal.

Dawson could remember just one other game in his coaching career when his team offered no real threat to score.

“It wasn't fun then and it ain't fun now, if that tells you anything,” Dawson said. “It'll be a lot of self-reflection. The one thing I'm not going to do is quit. I think you guys know that. We'll figure it out, and we'll try to do better.”

For Kentucky getting better may mean a change at the most visible position on the field.

What once seemed like fans’ normal obsession with a backup quarterback has become a legitimate concern. For the second consecutive season, Towles appears to be regressing in the second half.

Since posting back-to-back 300-yard passing games against Eastern Kentucky and Auburn, Towles has averaged 166 passing yards per game in three straight losses. He has thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in that span.

“I think I made good decisions today,” Towles said. “I just don't think I threw the football well. There's a lot to that, and I've got to go back to work and figure it out and become a better football player.”

Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Drew Barker make his second career appearance after Towles’ second interception of the game in the fourth quarter.

Barker completed one of his two passes for five yards on his only drive before Stoops elected to run the clock out on the final play.

Whether Barker, who has now thrown 11 passes in his collegiate career, gives the offense a better chance for success than Towles remains to be seen, but with games against Vanderbilt and Charlotte coming up the schedule could offer an opportunity to break in inexperienced starter.

If the Kentucky coaches elect to make that change, even Towles would have a difficult time arguing with the decision.

“I can't say I blame them,” Towles said. “I want to win football games, and if I'm not getting it done we need to play somebody else.”

Email Jon Hale atjahale@courier-journal.com. Follow him on Twitter@JonHale_CJ.